The Cringe Cocktail Is Making a Comeback, and We Couldn’t Be Happier

There’s no shame in bringing back these sweet, nostalgic classics—or ordering whatever drink you’ll enjoy the most, regardless of its cringe status.

We’re sick of the Carrie Bradshaw slander. Say what you will about the Sex and the City and And Just Like That lead, but a woman that orders her Cosmopolitan with a side of fries? That’s our kind of girl. We are of the opinion that the iconic Cosmopolitan cocktail—and its counterparts, like the Porn Star Martini or vodka cranberry—deserve the reputation they’ve acquired over the years. The internet has classified these classic, sugary-sweet beverages as “cringe cocktails”—a label that maybe shouldn’t be taken as wholly negative.

BHG / Xiaojie Liu

While the definition might vary a bit person to person, the cringe cocktails category includes those playful, historically fan-favorite beverages like the Cosmo and the vodka cran. Cringe cocktails are sweet and colorful, and their naysayers cringe at the memories and connotations they carry of bar scenes and cocktail culture from eras gone by. But the past is in the past—and why would you order something currently on-trend that pains you to drink when there are so many prettier, more delicious cocktail options available?

As Taylor Swift said in her 2022 commencement speech at NYU: “Learn to live alongside cringe. No matter how hard you try to avoid being cringe, you will look back on your life and cringe retrospectively. Cringe is unavoidable over a lifetime. Even the term ‘cringe’ might someday be deemed ‘cringe’.”

While low-ABV beverages might be trending now more than ever, we’re convinced that cringe cocktails—both easy to drink and alcohol forward—are not only worth the hype, but are making a serious comeback in 2023. And while we’d argue they’re classics for a reason, the nostalgia that these drinks exude might be to thank for their newfound popularity as well.

According to Bacardi’s 2023 Cocktail Trends Report, bartenders are embracing “’90s and 2000s ‘cringe’ cocktails like cosmopolitans and passion fruit martinis.” A study by the booze giant just one year prior found that 81% of respondents noted the rise of “Instagrammable” drinks. The trend also aligns with findings that American respondents have increasingly moved toward fruity cocktails and sweet flavors following the pandemic.

“For many people, pandemic lockdowns amplified aspects of creating coziness,” Brandy Rand, chief strategy officer of IWSR, said in a report published by the organization. “Flavors and smells like chocolate chip cookies, fresh-squeezed lemonade, or a peanut butter and jelly sandwich bring back the nostalgia of childhood and are simple comforts.”

Related: 18 Refreshing Summer Cocktails to Cool Off With This Season

Maybe you’ve been on a Porn Star Martini kick since the onset of your drinking career, and are getting a bit sick of the tried and true classic. Cocktail burnout is definitely real, but that doesn’t mean you should abandon the cocktail category altogether—these beverages are on the comeback.

Here’s the thing: Just because they’re classics doesn’t mean they can’t (and shouldn’t be!) reinvented. The Rosé Cosmopolitan has become quite the hit among bar goers—it’s got the same ingredients plus a top-off of your fave pink-hued vino. The London Cosmopolitan, which replaces the usual vodka with gin, has also become a fan-favorite as of late.

If you’re looking to avoid the stigma surrounding the vodka cran (they might’ve been a thing of your college years, but they’re still simple and delicious) you can simply call it by its slightly more sophisticated name—the Cape Codder—which includes a tasty squeeze of lime. If you’re looking to take vodka out of the equation altogether, though, you could also opt for a cranberry margarita. You’ll get the same essence of the cringe cocktail, but with a tequila that feels a little more grown-up.

Related: The Hugo Spritz Is Poised to Become the Drink of Summer—Here's Why

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